Shifting bow for vehicle-tops.



c, E. TITOHENER. SHIFTING BOW FOR VEHICLE TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, 1911.

Patented June 17, 1913.

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CHARLES E. TITCHENER, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

SHIFTING BOW FOR VEHICLE-TOPS.

Application filed. December 27, 1911.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17 1913.

Serial No. 668,173.

To all who m, 2'6 may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. Trrorr- ENER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shifting Bows forVehicle-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shifting bows for the tops of vehicles.

In the ordinary styles of carriage and automobile sockets the front bowis usually fastened at a fixed place, either at the bottom or eye partof the main or upright socket, or about half way up. With thisconstruction, especially with the long front tubes used on automobiles,when the top is folded or let back the front bows are so long that theyextend out over the ends of the shorter bows, so that the top when thusfolded is rather unsightly, and is also somewhat difficult to securewithout rattling. In order to avoid this objection, the upright or mainsockets are usually made with two eyes, one of which is some distanceabove the other, so that a stud on the front how can be shifted from oneto the other. When the top is up, the upper eye is used, and when it isto be shut down, the front bow is shifted down to the lower eye. Inevery case it is necessary to remove the cotter pin which fastens thestud of the bow in the eye, and to replace said pin when the stud hasbeen inserted in the lower socket; this operation being repeated whenthe top is put up again.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple construct-ionof these parts which will hold the front bow firmly in either its upperor lower position without the necessity of removing any cotter pins ormanipulating any other fastenings. The construction is such that thebows present a neatand finished appearance from the outside of thevehicle, and the front bow shuts close against the main socket whenshifted to its lower position, making a com act arrangement whichfacilitates the app ication of anti-rattling devices and the straps orother means for securing the bows together.

The device consists of a clip fastened to the main bow at a suitablepoint and on the inner side thereof, with a link or brace pivoted to itand to a clip secured to the end of the front bow and shaped to fitsnugly against the front edge of the main bow in both its upper andlower positions, so as to form a firm abutment for the front bow.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is a side elevation of my improvedbow shifting device, looking from the inside of the vehicle. Fig. 2 is across section through the abutment clip, on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, andFig. 3 is a perspective view of said clip.

To the inner side of the main or upright how 1 is secured at the properheight a clip 2, which is simply a plate affording a foundation for astud 3 upon which is pivoted one end of a link or brace 4 composed of aflat bar of metal. The other end of said link is pivoted to one side ofan abutment clip 5, and preferably to an arm 6 extending backwardlyalong the inner side of the main bow. The clip is curved formingsteadying flanges to fit around the front edge of the main bow, as shownin Fig. 2, and has an arm 7 projecting forwardly to afford a point ofattachment for the lower end of the front bow 8, which is pivotallymounted upon a stud 9 passing laterally through said arm and bow.

The length of the link is preferably such that when the front bow isfolded down, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the upper ends of all thebows will be adjacent, none project-ing beyond another to anobjectionable degree. The width of said link is less than that of themain bow, so that it is entirely concealed behind said bow and is notvisible to an observer standing outside of the vehicle. To shift thefront bow to the position it must occupy when the top is up, theabutment clip is swung up from its position against the main bow belowthe plate 2, as it appears in Fig. l, to the position in which it isshown in dotted lines in said figure, where it abuts again against thefront edge of the main bow, and firmly supports the front bow, whichextends forwardly as indicated by the dotted lines. The parts are heldin this position by the weight of the forward portion of the top, andalso by the straps which are customarily used in automobiles to stretchthe top forward. In its upper position, too, the link is concealed bythe main how, so that the entire device presents a neat appearance Thepivotal attachment of the clip to the link enables the steadying flangesto engage with the main bow socket in both the upper and the lowerpositions of said clip.

Having thus described my invention what l I claim is The combinationwith the main bow socket of a vehicle top, of a clip comprising aportion shaped to fit the front edge of said bow socket and having twoperforated arms, one projecting forwardly and the other backwardly, alink pivoted to the inner side of said how socket and to the hackwardlyprojecting arm of said clip and a front bow pivoted to the forwardlypro-- CHARLES E. TITGHENER.

Witnesses N. A. BOYD, ANNA F. GUILFOYLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

